With their victory over the Bethesda University Flames on Nov. 2, the men’s basketball team worked their way to three victories to start the season. Through the first two games, the Eagles held their opponent to no more than 60 points, while scoring at least 85 en route to their undefeated start.
A pair of wins
After posting 57 points in the first half of the season opener on Oct. 27, the Eagles held a sufficient lead over La Sierra University. With another 28 points in the second half, Biola won their season opener 85-53.
Their momentum led into their second game, a victory against the University of La Verne on Nov. 1. Their 106-57 victory over La Verne marked the Eagles’ first 100-plus game since 2006. The Eagles scored 138 points on Nov. 25, 2006 against the University of Redlands.
“It’s extra motivation for us, because scoring that many points in a win gets us excited,” said junior forward Steve Herve.
A successful rally
Unlike the first two games of the season, the Flames held the Eagles in check. After the first half, the Eagles led the Flames by only seven points, but managed to score 43 in the second half to secure their victory. Regardless, the Eagles rallied to beat Bethesda 79-62.
“I personally think we picked up the defense really well,” Herve said. “After the first ten minutes, we were kind of slow on transition to defense, but we took our lead to the end and our defense was the most important thing we did better on.”
Double-digit points
Senior guard Dakari Archer lead the Eagles in scoring against the Flames and scored double-digit points for the third straight game. He scored 17 points off four field goals and nine free throws. Senior guard Caelan Tiongson, with six field goals and one free throw, made the second-most points for the Eagles with 13. Both sophomore guard Trevor Treinen and junior guard Blake Shannon Jr. scored 10 points, finishing as the final two Eagles with double digit points in the game.
The Eagles come into this season with high expectations, as they won the Golden State Athletic Conference championship last year and preseason polls predicted them finishing in fifth place. This year, they received six of nine first-place votes from GSAC coaches in the preseason poll, so they have a lot more to live up to.
“I would say our end goal is making it to the national championship,” said senior forward Ryan Swain. “The main goal for us is winning it.”
For the Eagles’ next match, they hit the road to play University of Antelope Valley on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
